I’ve been pretty open and honest about my thoughts on lockscreen widgets in Android 4.2. To be short – they don’t make a lot of sense to me, and I’m not a fan of the way the new lockscreen works. I was satisfied with the one button, sliding mechanism, something that has now been replaced by a separate Google Now shortcut and a camera screen that requires a full swipe. That’s right, you now have to worry about 3 or 4 different actions from your lockscreen rather than one button that does them all.

Clearly they don’t make much sense to other users as well, since one decided to make a quick app that allows you to disable them, something Google should have built-in from the start. If you have been annoyed at the glowing sidebars that greet you every time you wake your device, or simply do not need access to your text messaging, calendar, or camera apps, then give this free app called Lockscreen Policy a try.

It’s creator tells us that this isn’t the most polished app, but more of a “workaround for a problem that Google has yet to fix.”

CollapseShowComments

Larry

I’m more concerned about the lag this new homescreen brings, as well as the whole 4.2 OS in general, when you rotate the device.
Maybe the Nexus 7 is becoming obsolete already in terms of hardware. Just bought this dang thing. Sigh

MttFrog13

This is a great app. I’d rather disable the lockscreen and use the widgets on my homescreens than set up a whole new row of widgets on my lockscreen.

Lyn Scott

Google add a lot of good features but I don’t like the implementation of lock screen widgets. And the quick settings toggles.. I’ll keep using power toggles for sure..

no interest in lock screen widgets. what is the purpose of a lock screen then? not to mention way too frequently when i slide to unlock i am faced with the open clock app.

Raven

Everyone with 4.2 and the Lockscreen Widgets should get the latest HD Widgets. They offer some excellent new Lockscreen Widgets. Now, instead of the hideous half bolded clock, I have beautiful clock with weather and 5 day forecast and then if I rotate over one I have the same clock, but with useful switches such as Flight Mode or WiFi on and off right there without having to enter a PIN code to unlock. Both are very handy and I loving Lockscreen Widgets with them available.

Raven

Here is a Screenshot of my current Lockscreen.

MooleyBooleyTroll

I’m not not against lock screen widgets, I personally don’t want them. Love this app 🙂

Is it just me or does the growing functionality of lock screen widgets and the like completely defeat the purpose of a lock screen? It’s one thing to get quick access to a camera or a few different apps, but gaining access to your whole phone from the lock screen seems to be a bit of over kill. I’m sure some are readying their stones as I type this, but it seems excessive to me. Still gotta love Google’s relentless pursuit of innovation though!

Steve Benson

It’s just you. Use them if you want, or don’t. Google’s not forcing you to use them.

TechTitan

Obviously it’s not just me since others are not crazy about them either….INCLUDING THE WRITER OF THE THIS ARTICLE. Of course Google is not forcing me to use them, but thanks for coming to their defense. Have a cookie.

lockscreen widgets have a sense, but not in this way…..lockscreen widgets should be more like this:http://goo.gl/ugfvi

cade carter

Meh I love them. Understand how others may not, but they’ve allowed me to start using a secure lock screen without losing much flexibility from it.

El Big CHRIS

i think that what el goog should’ve done is gone with 3/4 of the screen for widgets and you swipe sidewas to access them. Like on widgetlocker, you can resize them but only as far as the lock circle is. that would’ve been mind blowing

Brent Cooper

I actually like the new lockscreen widgets. Espically being able to use the soundsearch or camera without having to enter a pattern, pin, or password. At least i think thats the way it works with a lock screen. Correct me if I am wrong though.

deserthawk

You could always just go into security and change screen lock settings to “none” and eliminate the lock screen completely.

Tyler Casilio

I also very much dislike the 4.2 Lockscreen on my Nexus 7

ToddAwesome

How do I disable that god awful clock?

NexusMan

Yea…I’m with you on that one, man. Liked the last clock SOOOOOOO much better. And I used to leave the clock on, while charging on my desk and loved the look. Don’t like it now.

Ted

I personally think that Google redid the lock screen to make sure that it would never come under patent fire. Now, you can unlock in any direction, avoiding any predetermined course like the iPhone patent specifies.

4.1 already fixed any potential patent infringement by having you not move anything at all to unlock the phone. In 4.1 when you move your finger, nothing on the screen moves, the little dots just brighten and dim, but they don’t move.

Can I use Lockscreen widgets if I have a pattern lock on my phone? As in, will I be able to view my calendar etc. without entering my pattern?

jathak

Yes, although you’ll need to unlock to add widgets. Oddly, you don’t need to unlock to remove them.

Brian Winning Jr.

Quite frankly the new lock screen widgets are an improvement, people are treating them like the initial reaction to 8 Metro…there not hard to get used to and you don’t have to use all the widgets…I think we all need to learn how to adept better rather than trying to go backwards in trying to get rid of these great innovations

Benjamin Sicard

The idea of lockscreen widgets are fine, but the implementation is a joke and is actually less “intuitive” than simply unlocking the phone and looking at your desktop widgets. People aren’t mad at the concept, they’re mad at the beta release, and rightfully so.

Also, how many typographers spontaneously combusted when that clock made it through? How dangerously ugly that thing is compared to the 4.1 clock. It’s like some hipster snuck in to AOSP and only halfway turned the digital clock into one of those full-word, written out with different font-weight time and date monstrosities.

A “snarky” little scarf-wearing-but-carefully-not-covering-his-nasty-chest-tattoo Apple teen broke into the AOSP Palace and sought to inject his malicious style-code into the Jelly Bean clock application. Before he could successfully transmogrify the once elegant clock into the offensive “FOURthirtySix”, Matias Duarte burst into the room and fired off a vicious shot from his WebOS gigacannon, striking the neo-yuppie perpetrator clean in the torso. But, alas, the damage was done. The clock displayed the ominous “4:36”, which elicited a most primal scream from Matias, rippling the very fabric of AOSP 4.2’s existence, causing not only numerous bugs within the fledgeling OS version, but also creating Hurricane Sandy, which would in the coming days ruin the festive Nexus launch that Google was planning. After the eventual subsiding of his wail, Matias set off to coordinate the effort the would later be Android 4.2.1.

ToddAwesome

It’s all Bush’s fault!

Dain Laguna

dude…matias is a hipster if there ever was one.

and google has had a long history of releasing betas to the public…its a google quirk im fond of and its nothing new.

Raven

As entertaining as your little post was, Matias was probably responsible for or at least approved that hideous new clock.

Benjamin Sicard

I agree, and it breaks my heart. Couldn’t think of another prominent figure to cast as protagonist though. At least it was entertaining. 😀

cizzlen

Really? What’s so bad about the new alarm clock application? It gives you options to view different time zones, it looks more sleek. I actually like the fonts. And setting the alarm clock function is MUCH easier and sleeker than before. I don’t see what the fuss is about.

TheDrunkenClam

I love the new fonts/look. I just flashed jelly belly on my galaxy nexus. Why doesn’t my lock screen clock look like the one in the pic?

cizzlen

If you flashed JB 4.2 you’d have the new clock widget. 4.1 is the older version.

jmsbwmn

“Great innovations”? You’re a total fandroid, dude. Having access to information on the lock screen is something iOS got right. This is one of the few areas where Android is actually behind iOS a little. Widgets, however, are not the answer. Widgets on the lock screen are clunky and insecure.

Yes, I’m glad Google is attempting to rectify a shortcoming of their mobile OS, but I look forward to the day they realize widgets are not the answer.

michael arazan

Someone with an iphone which doesn’t use or have widgets complaining about widgets? Do you go to Mexico and bitch about how bad it is when it snows there even though it doesn’t snow in Mexico?

jmsbwmn

Your comment makes no sense. I never said which device I use. Truth be told, I use and like both iOS and Android. If you actually read my comment, I elude to the fact that Android is superior to iOS, just not in every way. I’m not some closed-minded hater. You, on the other hand, apparently see a word beginning with a lowercase i and get so angry that you can’t post a comment without swearing.

Please work on your reading comprehension before you go on the attack again.

Adam Emshwiller

I like the idea, I think they just need to clean it up a little bit. I do not like to see the little “bars” on the side telling me i can swipe left or right… if it’s my phone, I know if i have widgets/camera left or right. I should not need a reminder. Also the ability to disable the widgets/camera would have been nice for those who do not like it.

I like being able to make whatever I want for the main lock screen, like a weather and click widget, for example. It’s similar, but more customizable than what aokp or cm10 does. I’m surprised so many hate it, to be honest…

Dain Laguna

This is android man. There is no respect or love for the mothership, only arguments on what is better

David M Dulin

Don’t you have the options of using the widgets or not? I don’t have widgets on my lockscreen, just the pattern lock.